Iain Forbes
Formerly Managing Director of a leading Scottish media business and then a self-employed business consultant Iain brings considerable experience of public/private collaborations having been nine years as Chair of the Glasgow Education/Business Partnership followed by three years chairing the Glasgow Childcare Partnership.
Iain has overall management responsibility for Scottish Mentoring Network (SMN) including strategy and funding. SMN has around 200 member projects across Scotland as well as national partners and service providers. In In his almost 10 years with SMN Iain has helped develop the effective use of mentoring across various sectors but in particular for those considered amongst the most vulnerable in Scotland. SMN works strategically at a national level and supports the Scottish Government in an initiative using mentoring to help reduce re-offending among women and persistent young male offenders. In addition we are supporting a government funded long term mentoring programme for Looked After Children and Young People (Care Experienced) as well as working with another national agency funding mentoring for young people moving out of the care system. SMN offers a Project Quality Award which has become the benchmark for projects seeking funding and accredited qualifications for mentoring co-ordinators and mentors as well as accredited training for both mentoring co-ordinators and mentors.
He is passionate about people of all ages being given the opportunity to optimise their potential and sees his role as enabling the sharing of good practice and experience in all sectors and influencing policy makers and funders about the substantial benefits of one to one interventions. Outside SMN, Iain is voluntary Chair of the Variety Children’s Charity in Scotland which exists to help sick, disabled and disadvantaged children.